Aquarium – What Dream Shall We Be Seeing Together
Chapter Index
Chapter 1
The following chapter contains sexual harassment.
Location: Aquarium Stage
♪~♪~♪
Oh my, what’s this? It seems the live show has already started! No wonder there was no one in the standby room!
Kanata~ Your voice is as wonderful as always…☆
No, this is simply the rehearsal for the show, is it not? They are not even wearing their outfits yet…
Although since this was an unplanned live, perhaps they do not have outfits prepared.
It should still be alright to chat with him if we keep it short. Let us greet him at least, although I am somewhat disinclined to walk on slippery floors.
rei, wataru… what are you doing here? the two of you together is very unusual~
No, no, you should not be asking that. Is it not obvious that I dragged my old bones all the way here out of worry for you?
oh, i see… i really do [need] to [reflect] on the trouble i have caused.
Perhaps. But there is no need to fret over it so much. We came here on our own will.
It is not like you have caused us any trouble, either. This all happened by chance. These children are only here because they came to the aquarium to have fun.
Yes! Today was very fun! Sora got to see lots and lots of new things~! ♪
Umm… I see Anzu-san crouching down in the corner over there… Is she okay?
Is it 'cause there aren’t enough helping hands for the live show… Like, not enough advertisement? Should we help?
Whenever Anzu-san isn’t looking upbeat, the reason is pretty much always work-related.
Hahaha, no worries, no worries. Everything’s going peeerfectly splendid for the show.
You guys can relax and enjoy the show as our audience.
No, no… Mikejima-kun, I cannot even fathom how this entire situation could have turned into a performance in the first place.
How many times must I tell you that your habit of turning everything into a boisterous festival is terrible?
Hm… I do not think any of us here can comprehend what is occurring at the moment, except for Mikejima-dono. He dragged all of us into this without any prior explanation.
'Tis my utter folly! I can’t say you’re wrong for calling me out on that, buuut just trust me on this and follow along!
It’ll be fine, just fine! Everything will surely end in success!
Also, you don’t need to worry about Anzu-san. She fell into the pool a second ago, sooo she’s completely drenched.
But there’s not a single scratch on her, so don’t worry.
It’s all thanks to Kaoru-san, who swiftly came to her rescue. Anzu-san, you practically owe him your life now, okay?
Ahaha, I really panicked there~… I could tell she was wobbling about as she walked, but then she flopped down right into the pool.
I think she just accidentally slipped…
But then I didn’t see her resurface out of the water, so I had to dive in there and save her.
I’ve done some part-time jobs like that, so I know the basics of how to be a lifeguard.
Hmm, but maybe I was a little too quick to do that… If she had drowned and lost consciousness, I would’ve had an excuse to kiss her~♪
Hahaha, that’s a shame. She owes you one, sooo she ought to let you kiss her at least…
She’s stiff as always.
Hmm…? She’s feeling all ashamed, saying “today really is a bad day for me…”
Is that why you’re in the corner, looking like you can’t stand being here for aaany second longer, Anzu-san…?
Fufu, be slow and steady, Anzu-dono. You should take a relaxing break.
The more you exhaust yourself, the more you will cause careless mistakes to happen… Not only that, but you will be less mindful of your surroundings. It is not a pleasant experience.
Hasumi-dono is occasionally reduced to such a state from over-exhaustion, so I am well aware of this fact.
Pushing yourself to work even harder when you are in that state only worsens your health, as well as your work productivity.
yes… so how about we all go around the [aquarium] together once this [performance] is over?
let’s forget about [work] and take a nice [breather]…♪
it is everyone’s [holiday], after all… it would be a [shame] if it [ends] in waste because of me.
i would feel a bit [terrible] if that were to happen.
Everyone’s doing this ‘cause they want to, though. But if I get to go around the aquarium with Anzu-chan, then I can finally have the date of my dreams, so I’m up for it~♪
This was just the worst type of ending, what with time being lost thanks to us taking forever to group up after losing each other…
But next chance I get, I’ll totally make it enjoyable for her. I swear I will~♪
Hmm, so you had your own mess of a day, too… Am I correct, Kaoru-kun?
Yeeep, I ended up sweating way too much over everything. Man, this is all I’ve been doing lately…
Kukuku. But you seem to be getting a lot of good out of it, because your expressions look better than when we first met.
Nothing is better than enjoying youth to its fullest, and you seem to be doing just that. Likewise, not having everything go your way is also a part of life~♪
Ehh… I prefer doing a bit more of the juicy stuff so I can just enjoy myself.
But things just don’t work out that way… All these guys around me are a handful, after all.
Chapter 2
Uh-oh. Anzu-chan, you’re sneezing. You’re getting cold from being drenched, aren’t you?
Let’s head over to the shop together! We’ll buy a towel and a change of clothes~♪
C’mon, stand up. Cheer up, okay? You’ll be alright.
You’ve been doing as great work as you ever could. This Onii~san right here will assure you of that! Good girl, good girl~♪
Oh! If you want something from the shop, then I’ll rush over there by myse—
—Mrrpfh!?
Do not worry about them, just leave this to Kaoru-kun. It is we who are the guests today; we should not be intruding in on them.
Now then, let us head over to the audience seats~♪
There does not seem to be much time until the performance starts, so you must hurry… Alright, Kaoru-kun?
Gotcha. Alright, let’s get going, Anzu-chan! Let’s hold hands as we walk there~♪
…They have left. Is it truly alright to leave Anzu-dono with that man…? Is it not possible that he will leave with her?
Shall I accompany them just in case?
souma, you should [practice] a little more for the [performance].
you are very [good] at [singing] and [dancing], but…
this show will have a [dolphin performance] in it, so you [have] to get along with the [dolphins].
generally, most of it will be dealt with by the [aquarium] staff.
but just [in case] anything happens, you should learn [how] to work with them, too.
i will teach you all about it.
look, the [dolphins] have come over to us…
they are very [smart children], but they are also [timid]. treat them [gently], so as not to scare them away.
Oohh. This is the first time I have seen “dol-fins” up close. I did not expect them to have such atrocious rows of teeth…
But it feels like their eyes have a gentle feel to them… It is vaguely similar to Buchou-dono’s.
oh, really? well, i do suppose you would not be used to [seeing] them, since we cannot keep any in our [water tanks].
that is exactly why we [need] this [aquarium].
i want to protect it. this time… i will definitely protect what is [important] to me. everything that has happened [this time] around is really [just] about [that].
Location: Aquarium (Main Exhibition)
Look, Anzu-chan! Look over there! There’s an interesting display of fish over there~♪
It looks like they put all the big crabs and deep-sea fish and any other sci-fi-like marine animals in there, so it’s like you’ve “Stepped into a planet completely different from Earth,” or so it says.
I think no one’s been approaching it, probably ‘cause it’s kinda eerie.
So if we go over there, we may get to be all alone together~ Wanna go and see?
Ahhh…! It’s like we’re space travelers drifting into an unknown planet…!
We could live here, as we support and help each other while in danger of monstrous creatures on this planet…! And then, our love will bloom…♪
Heheh, let’s become this planet’s Adam and Eve, Anzu-chan! ♪
Huh? We should just hurry up already?
It’ll be fine, won’t it? I’m not the main lead of the performance, so they can start without me if we don’t make it in time.
I don’t even wanna work today, since it’s a holiday… We’ll go back to them sometime in the middle of the show, sooo~ I’m gonna keep you for myself for a while…♪
Ah! Don’t run off with a stunned look on your face!
Did you forget that the reason today went badly was ‘cause of that~? I think it’d be a good idea to think less about work every once in awhile, don’t you?
People aren’t meant to put work above all else, y'know?
Well, nowadays people can get rewarded for working hard, so I guess everyone has been putting their all into it.
I mean, having your hard work recognized and accomplishing things can be nice, after all.
But that’s why I think it’s risky, too… It’s really easy to get obsessed with the idea of working hard for satisfaction.
Then you’ll get so addicted to it that you won’t be able to notice when your body can’t take it anymore, and you may end up in tatters before you know it.
I would never want you to turn out that way.
……Yep, I’m lecturing you like an elder.
It could be nice for someone to live a short but fulfilling life, and it could satisfy them in the end… But everyone they leave behind wouldn’t be able to handle it. So take care of your health, and live as long as you can.
It’s easy to forget this when we’re all living in this peaceful country, but… People really do die, y'know?
Don’t die on us… Okay? You’re very important to everyone, Anzu-chan.
……Ahaha, this isn’t the moment to talk so seriously… I mean, you’re wearing a T-shirt with dumb-looking octopuses and squids on it~♪
I know you had to change your clothes after getting drenched, but out of all the shirts in the shop, why did you choose that one? There were plenty of other ones, weren’t there?
Shops nowadays don’t just have those unfashionable shirts that are usually bought as a souvenir, they also have fashionable ones you can buy for everyday use, don’t they?
Huh? “Do I look weird”? Ahaha~ You really thought you’d look good in it?
It’s like your fashion sense is still in it’s baby phase, that’s sooo cute~♪
Owowow! Don’t hit me~ Sorry, I went too far! I think it looks good! Octopuses and squids are just fine!
Everyone has their own fashion sense, so anything goes as long as it suits them, yeah?
Actually, wait— Can I take a picture with you? I feel I could burst out in laughter if I could keep looking at it~!
Ah— Wait, wait, come back!
Sorry, sorry, I teased you way too much. It’s okay, you look fine! You look adorable, Anzu-chan~♪
(Ahaha. Good, good… I think she cheered up a little. It really doesn’t suit you to be upset, Anzu-chan~)
(She’s probably been really busy lately and making mistakes as she gets more and more tired… I’m guessing that’s what ended up making her cry…)
(But y'know, I really do want good-natured people to always be smiling.)
(…Mom, I'll be a good kid too, so could I also smile and laugh more?)
Chapter 3
Location: Aquarium Stage
I’m baaack~♪ The live show hasn’t started yet, right?
You are late! I almost thought you had escaped! Just where were you, and what were you doing!?
now, now, souma… welcome back, kaoru. it looks like you came back wearing the [costume], yes?
Yeah, more or less~ As soon as I came back, Sakuma-san and the others hoisted me right into the dressing room, and then wrapped me up in this costume like I’m some dress-up doll.
Anyway, I’d look like an idiot if I were the only one wearing casual clothes while everyone else wore costumes for the show.
But this performance came out of nowhere, so weren’t we just talking about how we probably won’t get any special costumes for it?
yes. but [wataru] was able to [provide] some for us.
it seems that he was able to spot an [association] from a nearby [theater] doing a public [performance] at the perfect time.
he has [connections] with them, so he asked them to lend him some [costumes] as a favor.
but these costumes were not [made] for us, so we must make some [adjustments] to the [size].
Ahhh… So that’s why Anzu-chan has her sewing box out and is clamoring about like her moment has finally come.
Ahaha, Anzu-dono, that tickles.
I would rather you not fumble with my costume… I think it is best that you adjust Mikejima-dono’s costume instead of mine, no? He seems cramped in his costume.
Yep, please and thank you! Though I’d be able to move about to an extent even if my limbs were somehow aaall tied up, so you don’t really have to be precise with the adjustments.
Anyway, there’ll be quite a lot of water splashing onto us during the performance… I’m probably worried over nothing, but just in case, we should make our clothes waterproof.
Here, Souma-san, I’ll do you the honor of coating you in the waterproof spray~♪
Cease at once! It would be a great deal of pain if it were to come into my eyes! I can do it myself!
Ahaha, Mikejima-kun got himself on Souma-kun’s good side before we knew it.
fufu, it looks like he has taken a huge liking to souma ever since wisteria festival long ago…
souma often complains about how he would come and [pester] him over every little thing.
and since souma is a [good boy], he cannot be [cold-hearted] to someone who treats him [intimately].
Ohh, I see. Mikejima-kun has peculiar taste, doesn’t he? It feels like he’s always involving himself with the strange kids.
it is because that [rogue] has always liked [old-fashioned] things, and souma likely [excites] him for that reason.
Makes sense, since he’s a samurai of the old ages~ Wait— Kanata-kun, you’re talking like you know all about him. Were you two that close?
hm… his father is a high-ranking [police] officer, you see. so his father would often come to my [house] for [inspection].
so, well… i would see him often as well. it has been like that since long ago.
we would [play] together while the adults [talked] to each other, since we were the [same] age.
Ahh, that’s right, Mikejima-kun’s parents are police officers.
I could tell he has influential power, but wow… your own parents being part of the police force already makes you sound like an ally of justice.
Ahh, no, it’s not both my parents, juuust my dad. My mom actually used to be someone who went against society… She’s retired now, though.
Wait, what? What do you mean by that? Was she a terrorist? Part of the yakuza?
How did someone like that marry a police officer!? I can smell a romantic story~♪
You like stuff like that, huuuh… But I can’t reaaally tell you more about their love story, since I don’t know much about it myself.
Aaanyway, since I’m still a kid, I ask for help from my parents whenever I hit an area I can’t deal with.
By using the power of the state and the power of the underground, most things end up working out somehow.
I do want to work things out with my own power, though… It’d be pathetic of me to keep relying on my own parents’ power.
But Kanata-san’s household is an unusual case, so I used eeevery card in my hand.
is it really that [unusual]…? i did [understand] the fact that i am [different] from others.
but to me, this was always the [norm].
i am always confused whenever people tell me that it is so [weird] or “you poor thing.”
and i am on [good terms] with my household, so i am not really that [dissatisfied], you know?
it is just… [god] has been [falling] out of power lately. so it seems like my household’s [power] has [weakened].
and that is when my household decided to let go of this [aquarium] they [own].
Chapter 4
So your household owns this aquarium, huh? I never knew that~ I’ve always gone to it from way back since it’s nearby.
fufu, long ago, i had seen a boy who looked a lot like you, kaoru.
you would [walk] around in the aquarium holding hands with a very pretty [woman], yes?
Ahh, yeah… My mom really liked fish and stuff.
Whenever she was feeling better, she’d secretly take me here after I’d been pooped out from all the studying and lessons.
So this place holds a looot of important memories to me, as well. If it goes bankrupt ‘cause of bad business, it’ll feel like something’s missing.
Hm, it is going to go bankrupt? What a shame. Even though it seems to be prospering so well right now.
ah, no. it seems like it will be [bought] by some [company]. but that company does not have a very good [reputation].
so i became [anxious] about whether the fish would be [taken care] of properly or not…
also, they have a business of [reselling lands], so what they truly want is this [land].
if they cannot make profit from the [aquarium], then there is a [chance] that they will demolish it.
by doing so, they may be able to make something that will bring more [revenue].
but i did not want that.
so i said [selfish] things, begging them not to sell [it], please don’t…
that is when i started to [advertise] for the aquarium, to keep the [business] going.
like [buying] the tickets with my own [money], and handing them out to people.
Ahh, I finally understand the reason behind those strange things you were doing, Buchou-dono. However, is it not futile to try and do it with only your power?
you are right. my household also sympathized with how i [feel]…
and we made it an [objective] to work hard, and not let go of the [aquarium].
They’re softer on you than one would expect. Throwing a tantrum uuusually doesn’t get things through, y’know?
yes, it is because i am a very, very important [living god]. people would [yield] to me in most cases.
well, it is also thanks to the [pressure] you put on them, though. in this [time period], the god’s [position] is [weak].
if a [higher-up] keeps a strong [eye] on him, he will [perish] away immediately… so please try not to bully him, okay?
Mm… I do think I was a bit rash, but your wish was for this aquarium to stay as it is, riiight?
Then I wanna support that with all I’ve got, as your friend.
you went too far with that [support], mama.
it is the god’s [duty] to [heal] and [protect] everyone. he [cannot] cause [trouble] to them like this.
it is too late to say “i think i’ll quit after all” now, anyway… so i will push through with [it].
i have to make sure i never say anything [selfish] ever again.
i really never wanted to [bother] anyone… yet it ended up being a [bigger] problem than i thought it would… i will do [better] next time.
Thaaat just shows how much everyone cherishes you, Kanata-san.
Not ‘cause you’re a god… It’s ‘cause you’re you that everyone wanted to help you.
huh… this is all strange to me… i have never even gotten [involved] with anyone in my whole life…
It is only you who sees it that way, Buchou-dono. At the very least, I am indebted to you. I would love to assist you if you are ever in trouble.
All that I ask is that you consult me about it much sooner. You are being a little too distant, are you not?
It takes a lot of energy to undo a problem after it has already gotten so complicated.
i am so sorry, souma. i am sorry to you too, kaoru, and to everyone else…
i have never been [selfish] before, until now. so i am not really good at it.
Yeah, the way you were acting for this case is like a spoiled kid whining and demanding that things go their way.
Ahaha, it’s pretty much just like a baby going against their parents for the first time.
yes… but this is a strange feeling. i had always [restrained] myself up until this point. it is almost always [peaceful] as long as i [restrain] myself.
but in yumenosaki academy, everyone is trying to make their own [dreams] come true with [everything] they have.
even if it was their own selfish desires… that is why i wanted to do the [same].
i am not used to it, and so i cannot do it properly. but this time, i followed how i [feel] to the very [end]…
and it feels like things will work out someway or another, so i am a bit [happy].
if it were still me from the past, then after getting locked up in the [water tank] as [punishment]—
and cooling my head down with some [thinking]… i would have just thought it did not [matter] anymore.
my household also probably thought that by [punishing] me, i would [regret] my actions, and be a [good boy].
and actually, when i was [all alone] inside that water tank…
i did start [thinking] about how silly i was acting, and i thought of giving up altogether…
but then everyone came here for me. and then you [helped] me to the best that you could.
without ever [rejecting] me, you supported and aided me.
it made me so happy. that is why i will not [restrain] myself this time.
even if it is something [embarrassing] and childishly [selfish], i will make my own [dream] come true.
just like what everyone else is doing.
because i am no longer a [god]… i was able to become the same [human being] as everyone else.